Electric lantern



BALMD Juny w, ma.

T. MEE, JR

ELECTRIC LANTERN Filed June 9, 1921 blt Patented duly im,

Ublllllllldl TOMAS MEE, 3R., 0F CLNTON, ILLNOS.

ntnornrc taureau'.

application filed June 9,

To all whom 2?? may concern:

Be it known that l, THOMAS MEE, Jr., a citizen of the United States;l and a resident of Clinton, county of De Witt, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Electric Lanterns, of which the following is a specification.

'This invention relates to electric lanterns of the kind in which a receptacle is provided with a batter and a lamp, and with means for establishing electricalconnection between the battery and the r'l-a inp, together with a base to support thereceptacle in upright position with the lamp below the bottom thereof, so that the light will be directed downward when the lantern is carried in the hand.`

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide an improved constructlon and arrangement whereby the lamp 1s carried in iiXed position on the bottom of the receptacle, and whereby the top pr cover of the receptacle is removable without disturbing any of the electrical connections or in any way aifecting the circuit ofthe lamp which is preferably screwed into a socket provided on the fixed bottom of the receptacle, so that insertion of the battery upside down in the receptacle serves, through the medium of suitable instrumentalities, to establish circuit connection from the battery to the lamp, and the circuit thus Aestablished. being controllable by a switch.

lt is also an object to provide certain details-and ,features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general eiiiciency and the serviceability of an electric lantern of 'this particular character.

To these and other useful ends the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and'shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an electric lantern embodying the principles of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal section on line 2 2 in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a vertical section on line 3 3 in Figure 2.

As thus illustrated, the invention comprises a cylindrical receptacle 1, provided with a fixed or rigid bottom 2 at its lower end, the receptacle being made of sheet metal of any suitable or desired character. Said bottom 2 is preferably convex on its under side, and forms a convex reflector provided 192i. Serial NO. 476,172.

at its center with a socket 3 in which the lamp 4c is screwed, whereby the light is reected downward when the lantern is carried in the hand. A skeleton 'frame' 5 is secured to the receptacle in any suitable manner to form a base for supporting the lantern on the floor or on a table and to provide a guard for said lamp. rlhe receptacle is also provided with a handle 6, preferably in the form or' a bail by which to carry the lantern. A false bottom 7 of insulating material is provided in the lower end portion of the receptacle, and irmly heldin place therein in any suitable or desired manner. rl`his false bottom 7 is in the Jform oi? a disc of suitable insulating material, and may be either permanently secured in the receptacle or held in such manner that it can be removed at will. rlhe false bottom 7 is provided with a ilat ring 8 of brass or other sheet metal, and with a central portion 9 oi' similar sheet metal, this portion 9 having a tongue 10 which is inserted downwardly through a slot 11 in the false bottom 7 to form a spring contact for engagement with the center or inner terminal of the lamp..

When the lamp is inserted, it is screwed up- Y' 'ward until it engages the springy contact 10, the other or outer terminal of the lamp being electrically connectedwith the bottom 2 through the screw threaded socket 3' previously mentioned. When the battery 12is inserted upside down in the receptacle, as shown, the outer spring terminal or electrode 13 of the battery presses downward on any portion of the ring 8, while the solid center terminal or electrode 14 of the battery presses downward on the central contact piece 9 previously mentioned, whereby the terminal 14 of the battery is electrically connected through the spring contact 10 with one terminal of the lamp., Thus electrical circuit connection is established to the lamp from the battery by merely'inverting the battery and inserting it upside down in the receptacle, but this circuit is normally open. The circuit can be closed, however, by moving the handle 15 downward until the switch contact 16 engages the ring, the upper end portion of this contact 16 being in engage ment with the side wall of the receptacle 1, whereby a circuit connection is completed from the contact 13 through the ring 8 to the metal Contact 16 and from the latter through the side of the receptacle 1- and through the bottom 2 to the screw threaded socket 3 previously mentioned. 4.It will be seen that the electric switch thus provided has inner and outer portions 17 and 18 which engage the pressed bead or rib 19 extending around the receptacle, whereby the switch is held in raised position, and whereby downward pressure must be exerted on the handle 15 to close the circuit. The switch slides up and down in a slot 20 formed in the side wall of the receptacle, but it will be understood that this switch may be of any suitable or desired character. Obviously, however, by having the switch contact 16 directly engage the ring 8 all necessity for providing wiring to form portions of the circuit is obviated, as no wiringof any kind is necessaryto conneet the battery and the lamp in series.

rThe receptacle 1 has an open `top, of course, through which to insert the battery, and this top has a cover or closure 21 of any suitable or desired character. This cover is removable, it will be seen, with the construction.` arrangement shown and described, without disturbing any oli' the electrical connectiojns and without in any way affecting the vcircuit of the lamp and battery, all of the entire circuit closing contacts and the circuit connection and controlling means being desirably located under the lower end of the battery. or at its lower end when thus inverted and held upside down on the support provided for it by the false bottom 7, which latter is in turn supported by the receptacle 1 in the manner shown and described. As the spring 10 is interposed between the lamp and the Jfalse bottom 7, it follows that downward insertion of the battery in the receptacle and its impact von the false bottom will not be liable to break the lamp.` The lamp can be unscrewed and' a new one can be inserted when necessary.

y Thebattery can be turned around in the reccptacle, as its contact or terminal 13 will always engage the ring 8 at some point on the surface of the latter. v

,It will be seen that the lamp 4 is in such position that the depending edges 22 of the receptacle out ofi' the light and prevent the same from shining in the eyes of the. user when` for example, thc handloG is carried on the'arm. The lantern is adapted for use' in various ways, but is especially adapted for use by conductors on railroads and other trainmen.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. ln an electric lantern. the combination of a receptacle open at the top thereof and having a fixed bottom provided with a socket, a lamp-screwed into said socket to menate means to normally hold said switch inl raised position the lamp and the entire circuit thereot being under the battery, and a cover which is removable from the top of the receptacle without affecting said circuit.

Q. A structure as specified in claim 1, said instrumentalities comprising a contact engaged by one terminal of the battery, and said switch having its lower end formed with a portion vto engage said contact.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, said instrun'ientalities comprising a false bottom supported immediately above said xed bottom of the receptacle. and including also a Contact on said talse bottom to connect one terminal of the battery to one terminal of he lamp` and another contact on said Jfalse bottom for engagement with the other terminal of the battery, said switch having a. contact portion movable up and down between the battery and the false bottom.

4. A struc-ture as specified in claim 1` said bottom being convex on its under side and having said socket integral with the center thereof and being adapted to serve as a reflector when said' switch is moved down to throw the light downward when the lantern is carried in the hand.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1. said instrumentalities comprising a false bottom of 'insulation in the receptacle` and including a ring shaped contact plate on said false bottom to engage one terminal of the battery and a central spring Contact on the false bottom to yieldingly engage one terminal of the lamp, said spring contact having a portion which engages the other' terminal of the battery, so that `the battery may be rotatedI or turned around without separating the contacts, and said switch having a lower end portion which is movable downwardly from the battery to engage said ring shaped contact plate, whereby the circuit is controllable at a point between said fixed bottom and' said ring shaped contact plate.

THoMAs MEE, JR. 

